


for the sake of brevity

by Charona



Category: Formula 1 RPF, Formula E RPF, Motorcycling RPF, Motorsport RPF
Genre: Banter, Bar Room Brawl, Brotherly Love, Celebrations, Coming Out, Drabble, Drabble Collection, Established Relationship, First Kiss, Flirting, Fluff, Heartbreak, Jealousy, M/M, Making Out, Prompt Fill, Protective Older Brothers, Tumblr Prompt, Weddings, three sentence prompts
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-09
Updated: 2020-01-13
Packaged: 2021-02-25 05:42:20
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 26
Words: 5,159
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21731008
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Charona/pseuds/Charona
Summary: Three: A mystic number countless times referred to in religion, philosophy, literature.In this case it's three sentences, various scenes and the question, what you can really express in such brevity of speech.[three-sentence-prompts, always open to suggestions!]
Relationships: Alex Marquez & Marc Marquez, Alexander Albon/George Russell, André Lotterer/Jean-Eric Vergne, Brad Binder/Iker Lecuona, Daniel Ricciardo/Max Verstappen, Daniel Ricciardo/Sebastian Vettel, Fabio Quartararo/Maverick Viñales, Jorge Lorenzo/Marc Marquez, Luca Marini/Andrea Migno, Nico Hulkenberg/Kevin Magnussen
Comments: 72
Kudos: 69





	1. "You didn't have to do this" - Alex & Marc

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, guys!
> 
> So this is a collection of the three-sentence-prompt fills I did on tumblr and am I'm so scared of losing them in the chaotic data heap that is that hellsite, so I thought, I'd post it here, too.  
> I'm still open for suggestions, all I need is:  
> 1\. a pairing or just one/two characters from any racing category  
> 2\. a setting: a feeling, a phrase, a (AU-)setting, a trope.  
> 3\. maybe a rating, if you feel like it. 
> 
> That's it, have fun with the first one, Alex and Marc (submitted by a very friendly anon) :D

Alex sees it all, the sleep deprivation as dark blue shadows carved underneath Marc’s closed eyes, the toll the long working hours has taken on him in the oil stream smeared over his brother’s cheek and crusting underneath his fingernails and the smell of petrol tinging the stale air inside the Honda garage.

He wakes him up as carefully as possible with a hand softly combing through his messy curls, ebony eyes filling with a mixture of regret and unbending love.

“You didn’t have to to this.” he whispers as Marc’s eyes flutter open and points at the bike, Marc has set up and worked on over night to fit his height and riding style better – Alex’s bike, Alex’s riding style; it’s what makes him stay silent as Marc grins at him, tired and ruffled and proud, and mutters a determined “Yes, I did and you know it.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> prompt suggestions in the comments or on tumblr: **charonaraccoon**


	2. Rufea team - Alex, Marc and Tito

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> prompt by **lily_katie** : Marc and Alex being blissfully happy.

The sunset dips the dirt track into bright orange light, while Marc takes another ravenous bite from his ham sandwich, sand crunching between his teeth from time to time as he chews and watches Alex and Tito making their way back over the mogul slopes while dangling his feet to the rhythm of their braking and accelerating.

They’ve spent the whole day dirt-biking, relishing the winter break to the fullest, talking about the upcoming holidays at home and the fact all three of them will be racing in one category next season – and it makes Marc grin widely despite the cold creeping up his hands, the muddy sandwich he's dropped while climbing up the stone fence lining the circuit and his muscles aching with tiredness.

Alex and Tito stop in front of him, spraying up more dirt in the process, their laughs still audible over the howling engines – Marc realises that this has been one of the best days of his life: the normalcy of it all making it even more perfect and the prospect of a hot shower, his mother’s mac’n’cheese and a FIFA tournament against his brother and his best friend an ideal closure of the day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> prompt suggestions in the comments or on tumblr: **charonaraccoon**


	3. collision - Alex/Marc

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **bavarian_angel** prompted me with "Alex/Marc in the hospital after a crash caused by Marc" and because the first one was incredibly sad, I added a second version^^  
> Have fun!

Until Marc is finally let into Alex’s hospital room it’s dark outside and it matches the bottomless abyss of pain and regret, self-hatred and gutting fear, Marc dwindled into ever since he saw the replay of their contact after the race – sweet taste of winning turning sour at the sight of Alex laying motionless underneath what once has been his Repsol Honda bike.

He sits down by the bedside, Alex unconscious after the emergency surgery – broken spine, brain trauma, lung collapse – and looking as fragile as glass and so incredibly young and vulnerable, Marc sobs before he even dares to look at him properly.

There are so many things, he wants to say – _“God, I’m so sorry!”_ , _“I have no idea, why I did that.”_ , _“please, wake up!”_ –, but the only words tearing their way up his throat and over his chapped lips are the utter truth and still don’t make it in time for the person they’re destined for to hear in this life – “I love you.”

*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*

Marc’s heart is in his mouth until he sees Alex sitting in the hospital bed – conscious, but rumbled, hurt, but not seriously injured.

He steps closer, meets Alex’s raised eyebrows and his grumbled “You’ll get a letter from my lawyer, Marquez, just FYI…”, before he flings himself onto Alex’s bed and at his brother’s chest.

Marc feels his lungs widen with the first proper intake of breath since the crash and presses his eyes shut to keep the tears of elation from falling, as Alex closes his long arms around his back and drowns out his whispered “God, I’m so sorry…“ with a soft kiss into his curls.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> prompt suggestions in the comments or on tumblr: **charonaraccoon**


	4. couch war - Alex & Marc

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A wonderful anon wanted "Marc and Alex playing video games (Mario Kart), and cute, brotherly rivalry" and I did my best :D
> 
> Have fun!

Marc‘s eyes, tired and watering from staring at the screen in front of him for hours on end, narrow even further, when he sees the car making a dangerous move and murmurs a low „Don’t you _fucking_ dare!“ as his brother rolls the dice – it’s met by a loud eruption of laughter from Alex‘s side of the couch and fist pumped into the air, when Marc‘s red car gets sent off-track by a slippery banana he couldn’t evade running over in time.

“Booyaah, where are your cat-like reflexes now, _huh_?!“ he exclaims, enjoying his victory to the fullest in nothing but mocking satisfaction at Marc throwing his controller aside, rubbing his palms over his temples and cursing under his breath.

His low „Mama and Papa should have put you up for adoption - after me as the firstborn it _had_ to go downhill…“ is answered by Alex‘s snarky laugh and a finger pointed at both their empty beer bottles and controllers; „Ready for another round and another defeat, old man?“ and Marc can do nothing else but grin at himself and Alex behaving like the boys they have too little time to embrace by now, but still very much are at heart.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> prompt suggestions in the comments or on tumblr: **charonaraccoon**


	5. whipped cream - Nico/Kevin

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> **bwoahtastic** a.k.a. **Quagswagging** wanted Kevin and Nico arguing in the supermarket and this happened:

Nico holds up two small blue packages again and Kevin, biting back a low growl and furiously shaking his head, seriously wonders for a moment why his parents haven’t put him up for adoption when they had the chance to.   
“This is still not whipped cream, but sour cream, which we can’t use for baking, and if I have to tell you the difference one more time and you keep grinning at me like that, I’m going to make you sleep on the couch, you got that?!”

Nico’s answer “If you take me home with you, I promise you, I’ll lick every bit of whipped cream off that gorgeous tattoo of yours.” makes Kevin squirm, grab all the packages with one and Nico’s arm with the other hand and drag him to the checkout, a low “You better keep that promise” murmured under his (hitching) breath.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> prompt suggestions in the comments or on tumblr: **charonaraccoon**


	6. lost - Marc/Jorge and Marc & Alex

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, the lovely **lily_katie** apparently loves to see Marc hurt and on the floor, because she prompted me with "Marc/x and heartbreak" and added "do your worst"... ... ... I did - twice!

Marc feels his heart sink to the floor and through it and right into hell’s seventh circle, as he watches Jorge give his farewell monologue on the stage and hears the well sorted words, which speak nothing but the bitter tasting truth and painful surrender.  
His eyes well up with those tears, he successfully bit back until now, because the Mallorcan asked him to not make it any harder (for him? For me? For both of us?), and they threaten to tear down his highly built wall so fiercely now, that he tumbles to his feet and locks himself into the empty toilet stall, thundering applause for the former World champion still echoing from the tiled walls. 

Another teammate beaten to dust, another friendship lost, his heart offered and rejected – again.

*-*-*-*-*

_So it had come this far_ , Marc thought as the door slammed shut behind Alex’s slim back, leaving him with deafening silence ringing in his ears after a fight so severe and dirty, Marc had never thought could be possible between them. He hadn’t planned on making that move on the last lap, it was pure instinct and he’d seen the blue-red-white livery way too late to back off, too late to see Alex tumbling into the gravel and kneeling on the ground with his head in his hands – too late to realise the damage he’d done to their team and their relationship and his heart.

 _I’m so sorry_ , he thought and slid down the wall next to the door, tears streaming down his cheeks and wetting his lips – lips that sparked with joy as they touched Alex’s on this day last year and that smouldered with the ruthless words he’d spat at Alex mere seconds earlier.

( _“You’ll never be champion anyway, Alex, you’re just not good enough, you’re not me!”_ )

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> prompt suggestions in the comments or on tumblr: **charonaraccoon**


	7. aftermath - Alex/Marc

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A very friendly anon wanted to read about "Alex/Marc being hungover after a function".   
> I tried my best and this is the result. Two versions again, because I had two very different scenarios in mind!

“Babe, wake up, we’re late!” Marc grumbles and doesn’t move, until Alex rips at the duvet and exposes Marc’s naked back to the chilly air of their bedroom, fresh breeze more than necessary after Alex woke up to a murderous headache and the stale air tinged with the sour smell of cocktails and champagne.

The presentation of the new livery has been a full success, but someone (Marc, for sure!) forgot to set an alarm clock, as they tumbled into bed at 4 a.m. and now they are late for brunch with their parents, much to their mother’s annoyance.

Marc turns around and pulls Alex closer by the hem of his shirt, presses a kiss to his cheek and mutters a soft “I hate you sometimes, you know that, right?” in such a raspy voice, that Alex lets himself sink down on top of him, head resting on his chest and murmurs a soft “You don’t mean that.” before closing his eyes – unnecessary to mention that they oversleep completely and don’t wake up until sunset. 

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

Alex groans into the pillow, as his brain enters a state that comes close enough to deserve the term of _awake_ and lifts his aching head just enough to look to his right and see the person he stumbled into bed with last night after the Christmas party at Honda – exchanging hot and messy kisses, stumbling out of black suits and falling asleep after what has been the most incredible sex of his life.

Marc next to him murmurs in his sleep, the stale taste of alcohol hanging in the air of their shared hotel room, their clothes a rumpled heap on the carpet, and Alex wipes his burning eyes, trying to keep both his stomach content and his composure. 

The second Marc’s eyes flutter open and transfix his own in their pitch-black gaze, Alex realises that they will have to have a serious conversation about last night’s events – after a strong double espresso and two aspirins.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> prompt suggestions in the comments or on tumblr: **charonaraccoon**


	8. celebrations - Maverick/Fabio

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I got a very intersting prompt from the wonderful **baentancur** a.k.a. **firetruckyeah** : Maverick/Fabio and the sentence _"I want you."_.  
> This is what I came up with, have fun!

Maverick pushes the door shut behind him, takes a few wide strides in Fabio’s direction and has the Frenchman cornered and pressed against the wall of the motorhome in an instant, knee sliding between his legs and licking the noise of surprise mixed with the taste of champagne off his lips, before crashing their mouths together.

Minutes of groping and tearing, biting and nipping, pointless and high from the events of the race, lead nowhere and leave them breathless at the same time until Maverick pulls Fabio back, teeth rasping over lips and a firm grip in his hair holding him in place, and locks their eyes together – inexplicably turned on by clouded dark eyes, heated cheek and swollen lips.

The low _“I want you.”_ gets lost into his mouth, Maverick pushing the newly crowned World champion towards the bed and into the sheets, as thoughts, words, moans and curses get lost against naked skin over toned muscles and tattoos – just… _God, you did it, you beat him, you look so hot like this, I can’t believe you’re mine and I love you_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> prompt suggestions in the comments or on tumblr: **charonaraccoon**


	9. send - Jev/André

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The utterly awesome (!) **RosaNautica** , a.k.a. **rosygoldendawn** wanted me to write about "Jev and André going public", loosely based on the last chapter of _phantom limb_

A certain kind of tranquility settles inside his guts, as Jev stares at the black-and-white photograph from his old Leica and contemplates its journey into cyber space and revelation to millions of eyes and opinions – just a kiss to the cheek, they’ve done so much worse, but the caption is, what makes this one special.

_You give up a lot of things if you’re chasing your dream, but you would give up even more, if you abandoned it – thank you for sharing my visions and being my dream, amour._

The second the tranquility threatens to turn into the same fear, which restraint them from doing this for years again and again, he looks at André peacefully slumbering next to him, cheetah a spotted purring heap on his chest, and gets lost in the calm beauty of his relaxed features – the print on his bedroom wall still very much true, because life _is_ a show and the only real thing _is_ love and now it’s going to be out there and no one can harm us –, so he hits _send_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> prompt suggestions in the comments or on tumblr: **charonaraccoon**


	10. found - Marc & Alex

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's **lily_katie** again with the prompt "Alex and Marc and a sequel to heartbreak". So basically "That was too sad, make them happy again and fix that sh*t.", hehe^^ 
> 
> Done! I hope, you guys like it!

It feels like cold war in the Repsol Honda garage with Marc and Alex not speaking a single word to one another for almost three months, the team witnessing nothing but gushes of rippling cold and stony silence from both brothers whenever they succeed in getting them to sit at the same table for the utmost necessary meetings – until Santi’s fist hits the wooden surface with a loud bang in May; eyes as dark and relentless as the order he issues to Marc: “Apologise, "fightclub" it out, go to a strip club, I don’t care – just get it together, _for fuck’s sake_ , or I’ll fire you both!”

 _He wouldn’t_ , Marc knows, but he has enough reasons anyway to first empty half his minibar while contemplating his words (plus giving himself liquid courage to actually say them) and then knock at Alex’s hotel room door long after midnight, slightly swaying in the process, tears already blurring his vision. 

The moment Alex opens the door, Marc is face to face with the exact reflection of himself – shattered, eyes rimmed red, lonely, drunk and heartbroken – and it creates a small vacuum wiping all the carefully sorted words from Marc’s tongue, before Alex nods through the veil of tears, spreads out his arms and reunites with his brother in a bone-crushing hug, setting the healing process of their cracked hearts in motion.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> prompt suggestions in the comments or on tumblr: **charonaraccoon**


	11. blue - Max/Daniel

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this time it's going back to the roots with "Daniel and Max and missing each other" for **lily_katie** , thank you very much!

Max scrolls down and the comparison he draws between Daniel’s helmet-swap-post with Charles and the one with himself makes an impish grin appear on his face, he tries to hide as well as possible behind the blue woollen scarf. 

He closes Instagram, opens WhatsApp and instantly clicks on Daniel’s incoming text: _“One week, four days and thirteen hours until we see each other again is too fucking long, bae, so I’ll fly out tomorrow, see ya in MC, I’ll get breakfast, so stay in bed – love ya”_ accompanied by a bright blue heart emoji – lighting up the dimly lit passenger’s area in the plane and a warm joyous spark inside Max’s guts. 

He types an answer, stares out of the window again and can’t help marvelling at the beauty of the bright yellow sunlight radiating nothing but warmth and life over the deep royal blue sky – thinking, _Whoever said blue and yellow don’t complement each other well, is an utter idiot_ and feeling his grin widen even further.


	12. never - Alex/Marc

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **bavarian_angel** , a.k.a. **edelfan** prompted me with "Alex/Marc and (sad) feelings during Santi's wedding".  
> I thought about this for a while and settled for a _very_ sad Marc (... as almost always, it seems^^) 
> 
> Have fun!

“Hey boys, next year it could be your turn to stand up there!” – Marc contemplates whether he should punch Emilio square in the face for the unfortunate choice of words or laugh it off and settles for cringing and fumbling with his midnight blue tie, which ironically enough matches Alex’s on the other side of the aisle. 

He briefly looks at his brother, epitome of elegance and beauty like a damned Greek deity and everything Marc wants and everything he _irrevocably, irrefutably can’t have_ – not the way he wants him anyway.  
They are gathered here today for a celebration of joy, to commemorate love, hope, destiny and life, but all Marc wants to do while Santi and Izaskun exchange their vows in front of the altar is break down in tears at the realisation, that he will _never_ get to do this… at least not with the _one_ person he so desperately wants this with.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> prompt suggestions in the comments or on tumblr: **charonaraccoon**


	13. eye of the storm - Migno/Luca

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A very cute anon asked me to write something about the _100km dei campioni_ , Luca and Migno and a dash of jealousy after an attempted kiss for Franco.

Luca regrets having agreed on taking the final stint of the race before he even got onto the bike for the last time and the feeling grows into full-on wrath, as he sees Andrea rushing past him, ignoring him completely and storming towards Morbidelli _of all people_ to congratulate him on their shared second place behind the brotherly duo – of which the younger one stares daggers at a certain Bester Capital rider’s back, as he _in all his delusional honesty_ leans over to kiss his teammate.

Luca knows, it’s nothing, just Migno being Migno and if he was to feel angry (he’d never swallow his pride to call the sensation burning underneath his skin _jealousy_ ), it should be of Franco, but he can’t shake off the feeling of hot betrayal coursing through his veins. 

But… all that’s needed to calm him down are Andrea’s calm brown eyes meeting his own over the fellow Italians shoulder, as he grins as if he had one the damned World Championship – before he looks him straight in the eye, blue meeting brown in a gaze so full of trust, pride and love, that Luca’s fists unclench themselves immediately and he even bestows him with a soft smile.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> prompt suggestions in the comments or on tumblr: **charonaraccoon**


	14. the tall boys - Alex/George

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is for **dr3amingincolour** , who asked me to write about George, Alex and their first kiss.   
> I hope, you enjoy reading this!
> 
> I know, Geroge didn’t attend the gala, BUT I wanted him in a suit here, so let’s just ignore the Mercedes testing^^

They’ve known each other for such a long time, have spent so many hours competing on Britain’s kart tracks and talking about their shared dream of driving a Formula One car, that physical closeness for them is a given, despite their usually pretty shy nature and Alex’s rapid heartbeat whenever George looks at him with his incredibly green-blue eyes and _ridiculously_ long eyelashes. 

It’s not a surprise that they meet up after the FIA gala, but what comes as a surprise for sure is the tight hug, George refuses to end once they are alone, shirtsleeves unbuttoned, slightly tipsy and feeling unbeatable and dizzy from all the compliments earlier this evening and the utter excitement and pride coursing through their systems. 

But _nothing_ , neither his shiny award on the nightstand, nor his parents’ appreciation can match the happiness exploding in Alex’s innards, when George pulls him closer still, height difference insignificant anyway, murmurs “I wanted to do this all evening long!” and places a kiss as soft and light as the flap of a butterfly’s wing to his lips – making Alex’s heart somersault through his chest and a broad smile spread on his face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> prompt suggestions in the comments or on tumblr: **charonaraccoon**


	15. free falling - Alex & Marc

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A very friendly anon prompted me with "excited/happy Alex and Marc having a theme park day" and it's Marc so there is angst in here, but I promise, they both end up happy :DD  
> Have fun!

Marc questions, what idiot has suggested to start their day at the theme park in Southern Andorra with the godforsaken Freefall Tower, just to realise that _he_ is that idiot, because it has been his idea and now he’s counting the costs – tackled with his fear of heights and thumping heartbeat, as the bracket closes and his feet lose contact with the solid ground.

Alex winks at him and wordlessly, but with an excited beam in his eyes takes his hand into his own, before the countdown reaches zero and they plunge back down towards the ground, Alex whooping, Marc pressing his eyes shut as firmly as humanly possible.

Once Marc’s standing on wobbly legs again with Alex’s long arm wrapped around his shoulder, he can’t help catching his brother’s delight like a cold, adrenaline rush suddenly very welcomed in the dullness of the summer break – and while sorting his messed up hair with one hand he drags Alex along with the other, announcing “We’re doing it again!” and being instantly mocked in return “You’ll find the guts to keep your eyes open this time?”.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> prompt suggestions in the comments or on tumblr: **charonaraccoon**


	16. never II - Alex/Marc

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **bavarian_angel** , a.k.a. **edelfan** asked me to write a version from Alex's POV at Santi's wedding. It's more a sequel now, but I hope, you guys like it anyway, let me know :D

Alex only has to follow the sharp smell of cigarettes to find his brother on the rooftop terrace of the elegant party venue – dance floor and bar area abandoned and Marc the only poor soul bracing the bitter cold night in nothing but his suit shirt with the sleeves rolled up standing in the middle of the roof, looking like a damned Greek deity.

He knows what’s going on and has done so all day long, knowing his brother better than anyone else in the entire world and still not allowed to label him in the way he so desperately wants to.

He steps into his personal space, grabs him by he hem of the white shirt and kisses him on the spot, pungent cigarette smoke mingling with salty tears as their lips meet in a voiceless conversation of _„You shouldn’t be smoking and you still taste better than everything I‘ve ever tried“_ , _„I know, no one must know about you, but you’re worth the risk.“_ and _„I love you more than anything in this world.“_ until Marc caves and clings onto him as if his life depended on it – which is closer to the truth than both of them want to admit at nights like this.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> prompt suggestions in the comments or on tumblr: **charonaraccoon**


	17. ebony and emerald - Iker/Brad

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A very nice anon asked for Iker and Brad, both of them being MotoGP riders now and slight NSFW...  
> The last point got a little bit out of hand, but I hope you like it, tell me, what you think :D

“So, now they really let _everyone_ into the highest category, huh?!” is Brad’s mean welcome, which loses some of its bite, as it’s accompanied by the widest and dirtiest of grins, before he meets a pair of black and confident eyes, that push him back through the door even more then the firm shove to his chest and the hoarse “Oh come on, babe, you’ll always let me in!” – irony, fiery temper, the urge to tease exploding into a hungry kiss, once the door falls shut behind Iker.

Their tumble through the flat, teeth and blunt fingernails tearing through layers of clothes and digging into skin is rough and animalistic enough to match a fight – especially when Iker pushes Brad so violently against the wall, the South African hisses and the vase on the sideboards clatters to the floor, mocked by a shirt falling onto the pile of shards mere seconds later—, if it hasn’t been for the outburst of sheer _euphoria_ in both of their eyes as ebony meets emerald and they share a grin. 

Eventually, when Iker’s tongue sticks to his palate drily from screaming into the pillows beneath Brad’s skilled tongue and fingers and they’re both covered in an ineffably hot mixture of sweat and cum, Brad lets the Spaniard's hair spill through his fingers like water and mutters a tired “Congratulations, amor, you made it.” and it’s returned by an audible smile and Iker’s low “No, _we_ did.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> prompt suggestions are always welcome in the comments or on tumblr: **charonaraccoon**


	18. My lot - Marc & Alex

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A very nice anon wanted Alex and a very protective Marc and this is what I came up with.

They’ve been out with friends multiple times, roaming the bars and clubs of Barcelona and diving into the nightlife of a buzzing metropolis and one (or five) cocktails – one of which Marc grips tighter, as his eyes dart across the room and fix on a tall, aggressive looking guy hassle his brother, and it takes Marc mere seconds of reading the scenario – mouth dry, fingers twitching, heartbeat a frantic gallop – to leave the bar and their freshly ordered drinks behind to step into heated debate about some spilled beers and a ruined jacket.

The insult he only picks up the last words of (“…what? You lot too hoity-toity to watch where you’re going now?!”) and the simple fact Alex looks seriously hurt by the words make Marc clench his jaw, before he sees the bull neck lift a hand for a badly aimed haymaker and it takes nothing more but a step to the left and firm shove to the guy’s solar plexus, to make him stumble backwards, followed by a firm, but calm “It’s best for you and your _lot_ to leave, _hombre_. You’re not talking to my brother like that in my presence.”

Marc’s eyes are pitch black, as relentless as cut onyxes and don’t soften, until the bloke disappears with a hand firmly pressed to his stomach and he turns around to face Alex, who’s brown eyes look so huge compared to his ashen cheeks, Marc pulls him into a brief side-hug, pats his back, smirks “come on, man, the cocktails are getting warm.” and drags him back to the bar, a protective and reassuring arm still firmly wrapped around his shoulder.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> prompt suggestions very welcome in the comments or on tumblr: **charonaraccoon**


	19. I’m a dog and I smell things – Nico/Kevin

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is for **speechbubble** for all her incredible comments and everything else!  
> So here is Zeus, a.k.a. a snippet from “Off the leash”, this time from Zeus’s POV.  
> You could read the story beforehand, but it’s not necessary to understand this little extract. Have fun!

In the end, humans are all stupid and incredibly easy to manipulate, Nico maybe even more than others, because he’s so tall, his head is probably so near to the clouds (yes, the fluffy white balls are not in fact candy cotton!) and they probably obscure his vision enough, so he just doesn’t realise, how easy it is, to pull him into the short blonde‘s field of vision.

I know Kevin, of course (I‘m a dog and I smell things) and although he always seems a little bit bored and sleepy, I also know how important he is to Nico and that means he’s important to me, too – we just have to talk about one or two visits to a tanning studio and some fashion improvements. 

Meeting that huge beast of a bull terrier on the other hand poses a whole set of problems – uncivilised and ill-mannered and opinionated – and AAUU!!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Suggestions very welcome here in the comments or on tumblr: **charonaraccoon**


	20. left Daniel/Sebastian

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The wonderful **speechbubble** came up with a great challange: Daniel and Seb and "not-necessarily-shippy activities"... well, that didn't work _that_ well, but I hope, you enjoy it anyway, my dear! <3

They haven’t done this in a while and a part of Daniel questions, if this was a good idea, especially when Seb grins at him and hugs him fleetly and they sit down in the secluded area of a restaurant they couldn’t pay less attention to.

They instantly dive into old habits and talk about everything; the things they’ve missed out about each other’s lives (racing, teams, kids, even politics), and generously beat about the bush that are all the things they miss about each other (shared garages, hotel room beds, secrets) – a conversation as natural and fleet-footed as it could be in the light of how things turned out for both of them.

It’s after the waiter has opened their second bottle of wine and left them again, that Daniel abandons the easiness and asks the question burning on his tongue for hours “Do you regret leaving sometimes?” and he’s surprised by both, Seb’s immediate reply “No.” and the just so visible, voiceless addition – _only when we’re doing this and I look at you and think of what we could have had, if I stayed_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> prompt suggestions in the comments or on tumblr: **charonaraccoon ******


	21. plunge - Daniel/Max

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **lily_katie** prompted me with Daniel, Max and a fun on an Australian beach.   
> This is what happened, have fun!

Actually (and Max hates sentences starting with _actually_ ) they just wanted to go on a lazy weekday’s stroll along West End, until Daniel’s “My feet are so tired… let’s do something crazy and jump down here.” seeps into Max’s ears and he realises he’s been too busy basking in Daniel’s ever-present smile and the purest warmth it radiates again, than the actual sun burning down on the west coast and their surroundings.

“I’m not… we… you… you want to do _what_?!” Max asks in complete bewilderment and Daniel only grins widely, challenging the sun and claiming the victory once again as he points at the glistening ocean in front of them and the steep cliff reaching down over 20 meters of nothing but dusty sandstone, sun scorched soil and bright water, yellow and blue.

But Daniel wouldn’t be _Daniel_ – the man Max irrevocably fell in love with, fought and won against his father over, lost to yellow and found again in the deepest blackness of what seemed to be his loneliest nights – if he didn’t just grab Max’s hand and pull him towards the edge, sharing heartbeats and glances full of sweet craziness, tingling adrenaline and insane adoration, before they make another step and leap into the dark-blue pacific side by side.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> prompt suggestions in the comments or on tumblr: **charonaraccoon**


	22. home - Daniel/Max

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A friendly anon on tumblr wanted Maxiel spending a lazy Sunday morning in bed and this is the result :D

It must be late noon already, when Max finally opens his eyes and all he sees is a mob of wiry black curls underneath his chin – Daniel a slack of pile muscles half draped on top of him and half pressed against his side, the bodily heat the Aussie exudes the exact same as the warmth he radiates with every wide smile, makes Max smile, too, despite his sore neck.  
He contemplates waking him up, relaxing his strained muscles and complying with his rumbling stomach demanding food, but the lure of soft sheets that smell like home and his _home_ wrapping him up in an embrace of naked, sun-kissed skin is too big a temptation to deal with such profanities as food. 

So Max lifts an arm and snuggles deeper into Daniel’s warmth, the cupid carved into the Aussie’s skin pressed against his bare chest and Daniel huffing in his sleep, when Max presses a kiss to his head, diving into dark curls, familiar scent, the epitome of _home_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> prompt suggestions are always welcome in the comments or on tumblr: **charonaraccoon**


	23. Thirty - Daniel/Max

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Someone prompted me with Daniel and Max waking up together.   
> It's a sequel to "Fliegen und Fallen" of sorts, but could be read as a standalone.   
> Have fun!

Daniel’s turned thirty on a plane and he’s hated it more than anything – the vibrating smartphone in his pocket, the well-wishers reaching him somewhere over the cold and lonely pacific and the deafening silence in the cab on the ride home; even the almost tranquil welcome of his parents on the porch, the glass of champagne and their kisses couldn’t really make him happy and couldn’t change the fact his race in Austria had been the cherry on a pie of shit that was this season.

Daniel crashed into the sheets of his own bed and didn’t even find the energy to laugh at the cruel irony of the numbers and, when the alarm clock announced a proud 3:33 a.m., but fell asleep with his phone still clutched in his hands, a message and a blue heart on the bright screen fading into the darkness of his bedroom.

Daniel woke up, because a heavy weight pressed down on his chest and opening his eyes revealed a mob of blond hair and a firm body tangled up against his side and – “Max?!” – disbelief, a grumble, a whack against his thigh – “Sshh, it’s _fucking_ early, let me _fucking_ sleep another hour or so…” –pause, tired blue eyes awakening in half-darkness – “Your mum let me in an hour ago. Surprise!” followed by a dashing kiss to his still slightly parted lips and a joyous smirk “Happy birthday, love.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> prompt suggestions are always welcome in the comments or on tumblr: **charonaraccoon**


	24. off-day - Marc and Alex

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **lily_katie** asked for Marc and Alex snuggling on a comfortable couch and who am I to deny you anything? ;)

Marc wakes up to the buzzing of Alex’s phone somewhere in the heap of cushions, some to support his shoulder still covered in the monstrosity of a sling, some to simply defend their little kingdom of fluffiness and warmth they’ve refused to leave all day long against all cold and disturbance.

Marc switches off the phone without even looking, who’s trying to reach his brother – rest-day, couch-day, day-with-zero-responsibilities-full-off-terrible-movies-and-bad-video-games, quality time!

Alex’s soft mumbling sees Marc grinning down at him and snuggling further into his warmth, the pain in his mending shoulder just a faint murmur – _best day in weeks_ , he concludes and rearranges the blanket around both of them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> prompt suggestions in the comments or on tumblr: **charonaraccoon**


	25. ghosts - Marc and Alex

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Small warning for this one, although **lily_katie** asked me to not make her cry:  
> Drama, a nightmare and Marc and Alex.

Alex hears the crunching of carbon fibre, the sound a piercing scream reverberating through his skull as he jolts upright, sweat trickling from his brows and mingling with the tears on his cheeks.

He blinks away the twirling remainders of images, white and orange, and light, blue and red, and tries to calm his rapidly beating heart by letting his hand trace over the mattress next to him, just to give in to the sob, as the sleepy fog rises and the realisation hits him like it does every night – just like he’s hit him on that godforsaken rainy Sunday, weeks ago.

It isn’t a dream, not even a nightmare, Marc isn’t here anymore, not ever since their crash, and he won’t come back – leaving Alex wrestling with his ghosts and demons in cold sheets.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> prompt suggestions in the comments or on tumblr: **charonaraccoon**


	26. silhouettes - Marc and Alex

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **lily_katie** wanted me to make some amends for the last one, so here are Marc and Alex and _a little_ less drama!

They’ve been out late and it shows, when Alex’s own over-flowing imagination floods his brain, fogged with tiredness and the beers he’s had with strange dreams filled with cold stares from usually warm eyes, a familiar hand slipping from his own and an empty room void of what once has been his.

He wakes up to his own deafening scream and his hotel room door being ripped open; Marc’s silhouette sharply framed by the artificial light illuminating the hallway.

His whole presence, his actual being and everything entailed (guidance, trust, confidence, strength) seeps into the room together with his brother holding onto him and anchoring his back with firm arms – “it’s alright, you’re okay... I’m here, we’re both fine... go back to sleep...” lost halfway into his hair.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You know the drill ;)


End file.
